Harry Potter and the Starship Enterprise
by butterflymommy1980
Summary: Some time in 2016, a mirror was deeded to the USS Enterprise-A, a mirror that would show Captain Kirk what he needed. It seems what he needed was a certain famous wizard, and a witch with a chip on her shoulder. Huh? Takes place after Star Trek Beyond.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Captain James "Jim" T. Kirk, of the Federation starship _Enterprise-A_ , had a problem. One of several, which was nothing new, really, but this problem was definitely unique.

Just moments ago, Montgomery Scott, his Chief Engineer, was showing him a rather large, strange-looking, mirror that had arrived. Apparently it had been deeded to the _Enterprise-A_ years ago, by an unknown source. Scans had shown it to be several hundred years old, of unknown Earth origins, but beyond that, it was just a huge, dirty, old mirror.

"What the heck are we supposed to do with an old mirror?" Kirk asked. "Hang it in the Observation Lounge?"

"That would be a good place for it," Scotty quipped.

"There's words on it," Lieutenant Nyota Uhura said, looking at the script around the edge of the mirror; it was currently leaning against the wall in the cargo bay. "I can't quite make them out."

"May I?" Doctor Leonard McCoy asked. "Spent a lot of years squinting at lousy printing."

Uhura nodded and moved aside to let him get close to the mirror. "The letters appear English, but they're either backwards or scrambled. I read 'em out, you write 'em down?" he suggested. Uhura nodded and quickly fetched a writing tablet.

" _D-e-e-n-u, space, o-y-t, space, a-h-w-t, space, u-b-e, space, c-a-f-r-u, space, o-y-t, space, o-n, space, w-o-h-s-i,_ " McCoy read out loud.

Uhura studied the words for a moment, then tabbed an application that made the sentence flip. The sentence now became "Ishow no tyo urfac ebu twha tyo uneed."

"Hang on. The whole sentence was backwards, like a mirror," Uhura realized. She began respacing the words. "I show not your face but what you need," she read out-loud.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Scotty asked.

Then McCoy glanced at the mirror, and his eyes went wide. In the mirror, where there had previously been nothing, was now a human female with blonde hair pulled back, staring back at them.

She was pretty, and wearing a floor-length green velvet robe with wide sleeves, purple frog closures, and green and purple plaid detailing. Her hair was pulled back and looking a bit messy, and she had a streak of dirt on her face, but that didn't distract from her pale green eyes, eyes which were going wide as if she could see them. She blushed a little when her eyes landed on him, and he couldn't help but smile at her, a smile she returned.

She called to someone, and a human male in a long black and brown robe appeared, looking at her inquisitively. She pointed at the mirror, and the man's eyes went wide under his round glasses and black hair.

She waved at them, and McCoy found himself waving back, drawn to the woman for reasons he couldn't understand. Then she appeared to reach out and touch the glass of the mirror. Curious, McCoy did the same, ignoring Commander Spock's words of caution, just as the woman's companion put a hand on her shoulder, perhaps in warning.

Maybe they should have listened.

There was a blast of light, everyone hit the deck reflectively, and suddenly the woman in the mirror was crashing into the storage bins and equipment behind them. Her companion hit a nearby console with a bone-jarring thud and slid to the deck, unconscious, breaking his glasses in the process.

No, that wasn't the problem, Kirk decided, getting up off the deck. Uninvited guests? That happened all the time. The problem was the long slender stick the woman had pointed at them, which she had taken out from her sleeve once she's stood up. There was every indication that she was protecting her companion, which would be understandable, except that Kirk had no idea who they were, or where they'd come from, other than within the mirror.

And that was the real problem.

"I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the starship _Enterprise_ ," Kirk said.

"Nora Montgomery," Nora said. "Starship? What the _hell_ just happened?" she demanded, her speech patterns reminding him of Scotty's.

"That's what I'd like to know, too," Kirk said, keeping his hands visible. "Right now it looks like your companion hit the corner of the console pretty hard. I can get my ship's doctor to look at him, if you'd like. I promise you, no one will hurt you."

Nora stared at him, hard, then nodded sharply. She backed away from her companion, letting McCoy come over and check him over, but didn't lower her stick.

"He's got a nasty gash on his head, but his pulse is steady. I'd like to get him to Sickbay," McCoy said, checking the unconscious male over. "He might have bleeding in the brain, and if it's left untreated, it could kill him."

Nora nodded. "Would a stretcher help?" she asked.

"Please," McCoy said.

Before anyone could grab one from the Emergency Medical supply locker, Nora did something.

" _Grabatum_ ," she said, waving her stick.

In a shower of sparkles and red light, a floating stretcher appeared. Then she aimed her stick at her companion, waved it, and said, " _Levioso_." The limp body rose up from the floor and, with Nora's careful motions, moved to the stretcher, settling on it gently. "Where to?" she asked McCoy.

McCoy glanced at Kirk, who's eyes had gone wide, along with Commander Spock's, Uhura's, Scotty's, the two security officers, and pretty much everyone else in the cargo bay.

"This way," he said, leading the way out of the cargo bay. To his amazement, the stretcher followed Nora, who followed him. Uhura and Spock followed, with Kirk catching up to them after giving Scotty instructions to have the mirror scanned then covered and put in a safe location for now, just in case.

When they emerged outside of the cargo bay, Kirk watched as Nora's eyes went wide.

"Bloody hell," she mumbled, looking around at everyone and everything. "Please tell me we're still at least somewhere near London," she begged, trying to keep up with McCoy, her robe swishing with her movements, her brown heeled shoes clacking on the deck, and her long braid bouncing on her back as she moved.

"I'm afraid not," Kirk said gently, following them. "We're at least several days travel at high speed away from Earth, if that's the London you're referring to."

"Several _days travel?_ " Nora repeated incredulously, her stick going up defensively. " _Away from Earth?_ Never mind _where_ the hell am I! How about _when_ the hell am I?"

"What year was it for you?" Kirk asked gently.

"Beginning of August of 2016," Nora said.

"It's Earth-year 2264, and Earth should be coming into August by now," McCoy said gently.

Nora raised her stick, mumbled something, and started writing glowing numbers in the air. It was a basic math subtraction question; 2264 minus 2016. The answer was 248.

248 years.

She gripped her stick that much more tighter. "Once we get to your hospital, or Sickbay, or wherever, I am getting myself a stiff drink," she said. "I'm assuming alcohol is still part of this world or universe or whatever?"

Kirk, McCoy, and Uhura smiled. "It is," McCoy said. "And I'm sure we can come up with something for you."

"Don't bother; I have something on me," Nora said, patting a slit in her robe.

"Strong?" McCoy asked.

Nora seemed to debate how to answer that, then finally said, "Very. Stuff's been aged for thirty-nine years in dragon-fire-burnt oak barrels."

"Dragons do not exist on Earth," Spock said.

Nora twitched an eyebrow. "Wanna bet? I've got a burn mark on my arm from a Hebridean Black dragon that says otherwise. Mean son of a bitch."

Then her companion groaned, starting to come to consciousness. He raised a hand to his head, then felt for his round glasses, which were still on his face, but broken.

"Bloody hell. Nora?" he asked, struggling to sit up.

"Easy, Harry. You took a bit of a crack to your head," Nora soothed, pushing him back down on the stretcher. "Let me fix your glasses." She tapped his glasses with her stick and said, " _Oculus Reparo._ " There was a crackling noise, and the broken glasses were repaired good as new.

"Thanks," Harry said. "What happened?"

"Other than getting blasted through that damn mirror and you belting your noggin on a console, I don't quite know," Nora said. "As far as I can tell, we're safe, for now. One of the local healers is going to take a look at you, and we'll go from there."

"Good. I could use a drop of Headache Relief Potion," Harry said, closing his eyes against the bright lights of the ship.

Nora smiled. "I'll draw you up a cup of hot chocolate with a drop of the Headache Relief Potion in a quick bit. You just take it easy, or Ginny will have both our heads."

Harry laughed.

In Sickbay, Nora used the _Levioso_ spell again to move Harry to a biobed and, with a wave of her stick, made the stretcher disappear.

"Fascinating," Spock said.

Harry cautiously opened one eye and looked at him. His eyes went wide as he looked around. "Nora, is there something you forgot to mention?" he asked as he sat up carefully.

"That we're on a spaceship, I think, called the _Enterprise_ , that the fellow in the yellow shirt said his name was Captain Kirk, and that we've somehow jumped about 248 years into the future, and that we're about several days travel at high speed away from Earth?" Nora admitted sheepishly. "I was gonna kinda wait until your head didn't feel like it'd gotten smacked by a Bludger before hitting you with that particular bit of information."

"Two-hundred and forty-eight years into the future?" Harry yelled, causing McCoy to glare at him. "How the bloody hell did that happen?"

"Like I said, still working out the details," Nora said. She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out what looked like a small leather satchel of some kind. She opened the satchel and reached in, after glancing inside, and pulled out a slender dark blue bottle with metal detailing. "Do you guys have hot chocolate?" she asked hopefully.

Uhura smiled at her kindly. "This way," she said, leading the way to a food synthesizer. Within seconds, she produced a steaming cup of hot chocolate. As she watched, Nora carefully removed the bottle stopper, which appeared to double as a dropper, and carefully squeezed two drops of the dark blue fluid into the hot chocolate. She put the bottle back in her bag, after sealing it again, and took the cup to Harry, who accepted the hot drink and took a careful sip.

"Thanks," he said, already feeling his headache starting to diminish. He glanced at McCoy, who was reading the monitor over his head.

"Impressive," McCoy said. "The swelling's going down faster than anything I've ever seen."

"Good to hear. Now what?" Harry asked.

"Now we figure out what to do with you two," Kirk said. "Just before you two came through the mirror, my officer translated the writing on it. It said, _I show not your face, but what you need_. What does that mean?"

"If I had to guess, exactly what it says," Harry said. "You see what you need, even if you don't realize you need it. How did you come into possession of the mirror?"

"It was deeded to the ship years ago," Kirk said. "Which makes no sense, because the _Enterprise-A_ was only just finished being built less than a month ago."

Harry shared a look with Nora. "Could we have a look at the deed? I have some experience with these things and I might be able to tell you who deeded the mirror to you, and possibly why," he said.

"That would be appreciated," Kirk said. "Have you ever come across something like this before?"

"Not like this, but definitely something similar," Harry said. "I came across a mirror when I was about eleven years old, that showed me my heart's deepest desire. It was called the Mirror of Erised, and the headmaster of the school, where the mirror was being stored, he had it moved after cautioning me that people had gone mad because of the mirror, seeing what they wanted the most, but unable to touch it or take it." He smiled sadly. "He said it didn't do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

"Sound advice," Spock said.

"I think we forgot to do something," Nora said.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Proper introductions?" Nora asked.

"Fair enough," Harry said. "I'm Harry Potter, Head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic."

"Nora Montgomery, Auror-In-Training for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with the Ministry of Magic," Nora said. "We're based in London."

"Captain James T. Kirk, _USS Enterprise_ ," Kirk said. "My First Officer, Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, our communications specialist, and Doctor McCoy, our Chief Medical Officer."

"What's the deal with the sticks?" McCoy asked.

"They're our wands," Harry said. "I'm a wizard and Nora's a witch. Our wands help create our magic by helping us focus it."

"Different words and different wand motions create different things or results," Nora said. "It takes practice, lots of it."

"How do you learn?" Uhura asked.

"There are schools for witches and wizards, and we usually start attending them by age eleven, but most of us have some idea of magic because most of us are raised by magical parents or relatives, even though the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery prevents children from using magic outside of the home, or in front of Muggles, until we're about seventeen, except in various circumstances," Harry said.

"Muggles?" McCoy asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Non-magical folk, like you guys," Nora explained. "Witches and wizards aren't made; they're born."

"Why haven't we heard of you guys?" Kirk said.

"Because we have a law called the International Statute of Secrecy," Harry explained. "Are you familiar with the Salem Witch Trials and the witch hunts in Britain around the fifteenth and seventh century?"

"I remember there was a lot of religious persecution during that time," Kirk said. "A lot of innocent people died."

"The International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689 because the reigning monarchy, King William the Third and Queen Mary the Second, refused to do anything to protect the wizarding community when persecution started getting dangerously out of hand," Nora explained. "Since then, we've basically been a community within a community, and if you haven't heard of the Ministry of Magic, then it stands to reason that the International Statute of Secrecy is still in effect."

"That is a logical conclusion," Spock said.

"What do Aurors do?" McCoy asked.

"We're a cross between the military and the police," Nora said. "We chase after the bad witches and wizards and help enforce some of the more stricter magical laws. Our turn. What are you?" she asked, pointing at Spock.

"I am a Vulcan," Spock said. "Unfortunately, due to the nature of the time travel situation, I cannot tell you much more than that, until we assess the nature of your situation."

"One thing I'd like to know is how we're going to get back to our time," Harry said, getting up off the bed. "First things first; let's find out who deeded you the mirror and why." He handed the now-empty mug to Nora, who handed it to a woman wearing a dress version of McCoy's shirt.

"Wait a minute! You were just unconscious!" McCoy snapped.

"Yes, and?" Harry asked. At the crew's incredulous looks, Harry explained. "Trust me, I've had a lot worse happen to me than just hitting my head. The stories I could tell you..."

"I look forward to it," Kirk said. "As reluctant as I am to say this, we're going to need to confiscate your... wands... until we're sure you're not a threat to us."

Nora and Harry glanced at each other, then Harry nodded. "As long as we get them back. A lot of witches and wizards tend to be possessive about their wands. I know I am."

"We don't choose our wands; the wands choose us," Nora said.

Harry withdrew his wand from within the folds of his sleeves and handed it to Spock. Nora did the same.

"We'll bring the deed to you while McCoy checks you two over," Kirk said. "I need to make sure you're not carrying anything that could harm my crew on a biological level."

"That's reasonable," Nora said. "As long as you don't ask me to strip in front of everyone, we're good to go."

"Fair enough. This way," McCoy said, leading them deeper into Sickbay. "It'll be painless, I promise."

"Spock?" Kirk said, as he, Spock, and Uhura left Sickbay.

"The wands will be examined and the deed brought to Sickbay," Spock said, already anticipating Kirk's orders. "I will assign a Security escort to them, and guest quarters for the duration of their stay."

"Thank you. I also want internal sensors checked, see if maybe their 'magic' was giving off a reading we can track," Kirk said.

Then Kirk's communicator chirped. " _Yaxley to Captain Kirk_!"

"Kirk here," Kirk said, flipping the communicator open.

" _Sir, I don't know how, but some kind of creature is in Engineering! It's big, it's fast, and it's mad, sir!_ " Yaxley said. " _We don't want to risk shooting it because it's in some of the sensitive areas of Engineering, sir!_ "

Kirk groaned softly. "Do what you can to capture the creature and bring it to Sickbay for examination. If you have to, stun it, but be careful. I'll warn McCoy he's got another guest on the way. I'm on my way."

" _Understood, sir!_ " Yaxley said, signing off.

"Curious. The creature appears just after Nora Montgomery and Harry Potter do," Spock said.

"You think it's connected?" Kirk asked.

"That would be the logical conclusion," Spock said.

"Uhura?" Kirk said.

"I'll warn the doctor," Uhura promised. "He's going to get a little cranky."

"More than he usually is?" Kirk quipped, grinning. "Nah, he was too busy making eyes at Nora."

"I do not believe that will affect Doctor McCoy's professionalism towards her," Spock said.

"Oh I agree, I agree, but it sure is fun to watch," Kirk said, still grinning. "He doesn't flirt very often."

Kirk wasn't smiling a few minutes later. Inside a cargo container was a yowling, screeching, fighting feline, one of the meanest he'd ever seen. A phaser shot, on light stun, only just managed to bring the creature down, long enough for Engineering and Security personnel to stuff it in a ventilated cargo container. Then it woke up and exploded in righteous anger, causing the container to rock.

"Holy shit," was all Kirk could think of to say. A witch and wizard coming through a mirror that had been deeded to the _Enterprise-A_ years ago, and now this? This was going to be a fun report to send to Starfleet Headquarters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

" _Captain's log, Stardate 2264.217. I thought I'd seen it all in the four years of our mission, but once again, I was wrong._

 _Security was able to capture the creature in Engineering, and it was brought to Sickbay for examination. Doctor McCoy expressed serious concern about being able to handle the creature without stunning it again, not that that would be a bad thing, with the way this thing was carrying on._

 _That was when we got the shock of our lives. Nora Montgomery, our self-proclaimed witch, apparently recognized the creature, and threatened a variety of curses and hexes on any of us if he was harmed and not taken out of the box immediately. She was able to get him calmed down enough for Doctor McCoy to examine him, even going as far as being able to withdraw some blood for analysis._

 _The creature's name is Easzim, and he's part Kneazle and part alley cat; he resembles a very large domestic house cat, but with the biggest ears I've ever seen on a house cat. According to Nora and Harry Potter, Kneazles are known for being very intelligent, loyal, have the ability to determine whether or not someone is trustworthy or not, and can always find their way home. Nora explained that she rescued Easzim from a bunch of mean Muggle kids who were tormenting him, when he was still a kitten, and he's been with her for the last three years. Where she goes, he goes_."

"That is one big cat," Kirk said, eyes wide as he watched the previously snarling and hissing cat settle comfortably in Nora's lap while Nora brushed him with a brush from within her bag. Both cat and human were seated on the floor.

"He's beautiful," Nurse Chapel gushed.

Easzim had cinnamon brown medium hair with black splotches, a round face with a punched-in nose, a big, poufy tail that bounced as he moved, large ears that twitched constantly and had ear tufts on the tips, bright yellow eyes, six toes on all four feet, and the loudest purr Kirk had ever heard from a domestic house cat, a cat that was tipping the scales at forty pounds.

Nora beamed at Chapel. "He's a real cuddle-bug when he wants to be," Nora said. "He's also very opinionated; I have a cousin he absolutely hates. Growls every time he sees him."

"He must've followed you through the mirror," Harry said. "The mirror shows you what you need, and you two need each other."

Spock appeared, a piece of old parchment and a data pad in one hand and the wands in the other other; the deed for the mirror, and something else. Seeing Easzim, he raised an eyebrow. "Curious," was all he said. Easzim ignored him. He handed the data pad to Harry. "This is the deed that was given to us from Starfleet Headquarters through their vaults, shortly after Starfleet Headquarters was built. However, tracing it beyond that has proven to be quite difficult. All Starfleet knows is that we were to receive the mirror on this time and this date, and no sooner," Spock said. He handed him a sealed envelope. "This was with the deed."

Harry studied the wax seal. "That's the Hogwarts seal," he said. He attempted to break it open, but it refused. "All right, I need my wand back."

Spock handed him his wand. "Scans have indicated that the wands, by themselves, are perfectly harmless. Harry Potter's is made of an Earth wood known as Holly, with a feather core our computers cannot identify," he said.

"Phoenix feather. Just like dragons, they exist," Harry said.

"Most curious, given that Phoenixes are considered a myth amongst humans," Spock said. "Nora Montgomery's wand is made of a wood called Blackthorn and has a core similar to a plant known as Cretan dittany."

"Dittany; it's a herb we use for healing," Harry explained absently as Spock handed the wand back to Nora, who tucked it in her sleeve. "Let's try something." He put the envelope on a nearby bed, tapped the envelope with his wand, and said, "Open!"

The envelope didn't open; instead, it floated up and a mouth formed in the wax seal. " _Show me your Patronus_ ," it hissed.

"Well, it's better than a Howler," Nora said.

"A Howler?" McCoy asked.

"It's a letter that screams whatever the writer wrote. If you don't open them right away, they explode. I've gotten a few of them over the years. Nasty things," Nora explained, watching as Harry backed off a bit.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " he said, drawing up on his happiest memory; the first time he'd kissed Ginny. From the tip of his wand, a silvery, ghost-like, full-size stag appeared. It galloped around the room before stopping in front of Harry and the letter.

" _Very good_ ," the letter hissed. Then it opened and a male voice began to speak.

 _"Greetings, friends, please take heed_

 _Of one who knows the sin of greed._

 _To stop a wrong before it comes true_

 _You must be willing to try something new._

 _In the future you will find_

 _That which you must leave behind._

 _Get ready to fly, get ready to soar_

 _For in your heart, there's so much more._

 _What was wrong will be made right,_

 _But bring up those fists, be ready to fight._

 _And when all is said and done,_

 _Just remember your loved one."_

"Is that normal for you?" Kirk asked, watching as the stag faded away and the letter dropped to the biobed.

"More or less, yes," Harry said, picking up the letter. "Greetings, friends, please take heed/Of one who knows the sin of greed."

"Sounds like something on Gringotts," Nora said. At the variety of puzzled glances, she explained. "Wizarding bank.

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_  
 _Of what awaits the sin of greed_  
 _For those who take, but do not earn,_  
 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._  
 _So if you seek beneath our floors_  
 _A treasure that was never yours,_  
 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_  
 _Of finding more than treasure there._ "

"That sounds ominous," McCoy said.

"So was the dragon that was down there," Harry said.

"I wondered about that! What was it, exactly?" Nora asked.

"A half-blind Ukrainian Ironbelly," Harry said absently. "Poor thing had been badly mistreated by the goblins there that it was eager to get out, with me, Ron, and Hermione on its back, of course."

"Wow," Nora said.

"So the sin of greed is someone who gets a bit too greedy, and you're being warned about it," Kirk said.

"Us, or you guys. The letter doesn't specify. To stop a wrong before it comes true/You must be willing to try something new," Harry said.

"I believe that suggests that in order for us to stop this perceived wrong, we must be willing to try something new," Spock said.

"That's pretty much a given," McCoy said.

"In the future you will find/That which you must leave behind," Harry said. "Okay, well, for me and Nora, this is the future, so that means there's something we'll have to leave behind. But what?"

"Is that one of those things we'll have to figure out as we go along?" Nora asked.

"Possibly," Harry said. "Get ready to fly, get ready to soar/For in your heart, there's so much more."

"Can you guys fly?" Kirk asked.

"We can't actually fly, but we do have the means to do so, just not on hand," Harry said.

"Sounds like that one's a double entendre," McCoy said.

"It's possible. What was wrong will be made right/But bring up those fists, be ready to fight," Harry said.

"I think that one's kinda obvious," Nora said. "Something wrong will be made right, but we're going have to fight for it."

"Great. I'll check my medical supplies," McCoy grumbled.

Nora smiled at him. "I have a few things on hand that might help, depending on the situation," she said.

McCoy smiled back, and Nora blushed.

 _You're too easy,_ Donovan's taunting voice whispered through her mind. _Girls who are too easy are good for counting the dots on the ceiling and nothing more, just like you._

Nora had nearly hit him that last time. Still, the memory lingered, causing her smile to fade.

"I'll keep that in mind," McCoy said.

"Yeah. Anyways, moving on. What was the next line?" Nora asked.

"And when all is said and done/Just remember your loved one," Harry said.

"Well, I don't have a loved one, but you do," Nora said to Harry.

"She's right. That may be how we get back," Harry said. "Unless you're seeing someone," Harry said to Nora.

"Oh trust me, Boss; Donovan makes damn sure my dating life is non-existent," Nora said bitterly.

"He still giving you trouble?" Harry asked, starting to study the deed. The glare Nora gave him answered his question. "Yup. Why haven't you broken his nose?" he asked.

"Maybe because he's got friends within the Wizengamot who believe every filthy word that comes out of his equally filthy mouth?" Nora asked bitterly. "If I hit him, I don't just get nailed for assault; I get sent to Azkaban, Auror-In-Training or not, cousin or not."

"Sounds like you need to move away," Kirk said.

Nora laughed bitterly. "I did; I moved in with Harry and his family."

"Something tells me that didn't work," McCoy said, feeling sympathy for the younger woman.

Nora gave him a tight smile and snuggled Easzim to her equally tight, causing the cat to meow in protest. "What does the deed say?" she asked Harry, deliberately changing the subject.

"I'm no lawyer, but everything looks pretty straight forward," Harry said. "Some time in 2162, the mirror was put into storage at Starfleet Headquarters, and given very specific instructions that on a particular date and time, the mirror was to be sent to the _USS Enterprise-A._ " He scrolled down to the bottom to see if he could find a signature. He didn't, but he found something else instead. "Recognize the family crest?" he asked Nora, going over to her and handing her the data pad.

"That's the Longbottom family crest," Nora said, recognizing the crest. "So someone in Professor Longbottom's family had something to do with the Wizengamot, and possibly the Advocates to the Wizarding World. Bet he would be real proud."

"You've mentioned the Wizengamot twice now," Spock said. "What is that?"

"Our version of the judicial system and courts," Harry said. "The Aurors catch the bad guys, the Wizengamot sentences them."

"I think it's fair to assume that our people managed to at least survive to 2162," Nora said. "If I'm allowed near the archives, I might be able to find out where we went from there."

"I do not recommend that," Spock said. "Too much knowledge of the future could be dangerous."

"I'm not interested in the nitty-gritty details, you over-grown goblin," Nora shot back.

 _Ouch!_ McCoy mouthed at Kirk, eyes wide.

"Nora!" Harry said sharply, glaring at her.

"I'm interested in obscure reports about gas explosions and odd sightings in certain parts of the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe," Nora continued. "Things that mean nothing at first glance, but may provide some details to us. After all, there's a good chance that one of us might be stuck here, and it would help to have some half-arsed idea of what the bloody hell happened!"

"I cannot fault your logic in that; however, I would recommend exercising caution in what you look for," Spock said.

"You want to read over my shoulder, you're welcome to," Nora shot back, glaring at the Vulcan.

Harry smiled tightly, trying to resist the urge to strangle his trainee. "Nora, a word please. In private."

Nora shrugged, and shoved Easzim off her lap. "Sorry, brah, but you gotta move. The boss calls," she said to the cat, who glared at her, then swished his tail upwards. "Yeah, and the same to you, pal!" Nora shot back, apparently recognizing the gesture, as she stood up and followed Harry to a quiet corner of Sickbay.

"She's got a mouth on her," McCoy said.

"And a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder," Kirk said.

"I suspect, based on what was said and the way she responded to the mention of her cousin, Donovan, that she may have a difficult home life," Spock said, watching as Harry tore a verbal strip off of Nora. His sensitive hearing picked up the conversation.

"What are they saying?" McCoy asked.

"Doctor, you know it's rude to eavesdrop on a private conversation," Spock admonished.

"Yeah. And? Call it security," Kirk said.

Spock thought about that, then nodded, and, turning his back to Nora and Harry, quickly began to repeat what was being said.

" _Do I need to remind you that we are guests here?_ " Harry angrily hissed at Nora.

" _You think I don't know that?_ " Nora shot back. " _Except I don't feel like a guest; I feel like a damn museum specimen_!"

" _I understand that, but they have a right to be cautious; there's an awful lot of people here, and I don't want anyone getting hurt or sick because of us. Things change, and so do diseases. Small pox, remember?_ "

" _I know that! All I want to do is find out what happened to our people!_ "

" _You can't change the future, Nora. What will happen will happen_."

" _I don't want to change the future, Harry! I just want to make sure I have a future_!"

Harry looked at Nora sadly, once again seeing the little girl who just wanted to be loved. " _You have a future; it starts with you_."

" _Not according to my family, I don't_ ," she said bitterly.

Harry sighed heavily. " _Look, all I'm asking is that you cut back on the barbs for a bit. They're doing the best they can to accommodate us, and the fact that we got our wands back and haven't been tossed in whatever they call their version of jail, that's a good thing_." Nora glared at him, but kept her mouth firmly shut. " _For now, we play nice and play by the rules, just as if we were playing Quiddich in a different country_."

" _Until when?_ "

" _Until the game gets out of hand, and then we change it to our rules, and blast a few Bludgers their way_."

"That sounds ominous," McCoy said.

" _Harry, just one thing,_ " Nora said, sounding almost wistful, her arms folded across her chest and stomach.

" _Hmm?_ "

" _I'm not... easy... am I?_ "

Harry smiled at her reassuringly. " _No, you're not. I know what Donovan said to you, and I'm betting you can still hear him._ " Nora nodded. " _You're not easy, and it's okay to have fun._ " He grinned mischievously. " _If it is who I think it is, then, by all means, have fun. He seems like a decent fellow, and it would do you a world of good. Having a little bit of fun once in awhile doesn't make you easy; it makes you human. And even if he just becomes your friend, then hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I fell in love with Ginny because she was my friend, and even after all these years, she still is._ " He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. " _Don't listen to Donovan. Listen to your heart._ "

McCoy looked at his friends. "And exactly what kind of screwed up family is she living with?" he hissed.

"Maybe that's why she saw you in the mirror; because she needs you," Kirk said. "She may need you just as much as we may need them." He came to a decision. "Let them have access to the ship's library, but restrict them from mission reports and critical ship details. Keep an eye on what they look at, and let me know."

"Understood," Spock said.

"We'll treat them as our guests for now, but keep one hand on a phaser, just in case they do decide to change the rules in a way that puts the ship and crew at risk," Kirk continued.

"Hard lesson much?" McCoy quipped, silently referring to Kalara, who had betrayed them and lead Kirk's first _Enterprise_ into an ambush, resulting in a very high loss of lives, and the _Enterprise_ herself. Kirk still had not forgiven, or forgotten, and he doubted he ever would.

"Way much," Kirk said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Nora opted out of the ship tour offered by Kirk, and instead, asked to go to her assigned quarters, so she could start doing her research. Harry suspected she actually wanted to get away from everything for a bit, overwhelming as it was. He couldn't blame her in the slightest.

A collar with a tracking device was put on Easzim, who started looking boastful when Nora assured him he was the best looking cat on the whole of the _Enterprise._ This was helped by Nurse Chapel, who fussed over him, calling him very handsome.

While Harry toured the _Enterprise_ , accompanied by Spock and Easzim, Nora stayed in her quarters, doing her research. Unfortunately, due to the fact that magic and technology seldom mixed well, she turned up precious little to even hint that her people might have survived past 2162. It was a long night for Nora.

The next morning, as McCoy was going through the reports of incidents during the night, he came across an interesting one. Ensign Barnes had arrived in Sickbay with various nasty scratches on his legs, scratches that looked suspiciously like claw and bite marks. When the on-duty doctor asked Barnes how he had gotten the scratches, and the shredded pant legs, the ensign had mumbled something about getting to close to the rose bushes in the botanical gardens. To make things interesting, the on-duty doctor had found what looked like fur on the pants, and made note of it. He also recommended that Ensign Barnes come back later, to make sure the scratches were healing properly.

McCoy had a sneaking suspicion he knew what had happened, and resolved to be there when Barnes came in.

Kirk nearly jumped out of his chair when there was a loud _CRACK_ , and Nora appeared. Several other crew members also started, and glared at Nora, who coldly ignored them. Harry was already there, having taken the long way. Nora, on the other hand, had Apparated right next to the command chair.

"Damnit, Nora! Did you have to do that? And where is your escort?" Kirk snapped, trying to calm his racing heart. He had been at one of the stations, quietly checking things over with the crewman stationed there.

Nora smiled tiredly, but coldly, at Kirk.

"Whatza matter, Cappy?" she taunted. "Can't handle the fact that I can appear and disappear at will? That I escaped my pansy jailer with a snap of my fingers? Are you worried I might actually be dangerous? What am I going to do? Put a Bat Bogey Hex on your crew and force them to take me where? Where I don't even know where the hell I am, never mind how the hell to get back home?"

"Nora," Harry cautioned, having seen this behaviour before. Something had happened between now and when he last saw her, and it hadn't been good.

"What's he gonna do, Lord and Master?" Nora spat bitterly. "Throw me in the brig? Toss me out an airlock? I'd like to see him try."

"Rough night?" Kirk asked, trying to keep himself from saying something he might regret. She reminded him of a child having a temper tantrum, and he was sorely tempted to turn her over his knee and paddle her ass.

Nora laughed bitterly. "Is that what you call it? Did you know I went through the entire archives of the _Enterprise,_ and I could not find one single damn _hint_ that my people survived past 2162! Not one tiny suggestion! Which means either the entire Wizarding community got wiped out by a major Muggle screw up, or they buried themselves so deep it ain't even funny!" She got right in Kirk's face. "For some stupid reason, the Mirror of Deen says you need us. I know why you need us."

"Why?" Kirk asked.

"To fix whatever screw-up you're about to get yourself into this time," she hissed. "Here's the thing, _Captain;_ that mirror showed me you guys, telling me I need you. That's where it screwed up. I don't need anyone, much less someone constantly watching and monitoring my every freaking move, in case I break some damn rule I know nothing about. Thank you, no. I get enough of that in my own house as it is." She smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. "I go where I want, when I want, and neither you, nor that walking flobberworm you call my bodyguard, is going to stop me," she hissed. She spun around to stalk off but was quickly stopped by Kirk's voice.

"You're on a flying tin can, Nora. Where are you going to go?" he asked. "Even if you try to leave the ship, we're lightyears away from the nearest planet, never mind a starbase. You are welcome to explore the ship, but until you decide to stop acting like a spoiled brat having a temper tantrum, I would strongly recommend you stay away from the vital areas."

 _Spoiled brat having a temper tantrum_. That did it. Nora preferred to use her mouth over her fists, but not this time. She was tired, and she felt dirty, both physically and emotionally, and someone was going to pay, and _damn the consequences_.

She swung, and Kirk found himself on the deck, pain blossoming in the orbital area of his face.

"Nora Miley Montgomery!" Harry yelled angrily.

"Spoiled brat enough for you?" she hissed at Kirk, watching as he was helped up by various crew members.

She didn't see Spock come up behind her. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her neck, and darkness came fast.

Harry stared at Nora's limp form, hands on his hips. "Damnit. Captain, I offer my most sincere apologies for Nora's behaviour. I know she's got a temper, but she prefers to use her mouth over her fists."

"Apology accepted, but I am going to have to put her in the brig for now, until she calms down," Kirk said.

"I understand, and I have a nasty suspicion something happened that we don't know about. Before you do take her to the brig, though, I'll take her wand and book bag away, so she can't try anything," Harry said. He bent over Nora and did just that. Then he tapped Nora with his wand and muttered something. "That'll stop her from being able to pull the same trick she just pulled here." Then Spock picked Nora up, hauled her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and headed for the brig. Uhura quietly let Sickbay know about the situation.

"What the hell brought that on?" Kirk asked Harry.

"This recent one? I'm not sure. The rest of it? That's a long story," Harry admitted. "I'll try and condense what I can, but you need to understand that it covers about twenty years of history, and a very dark period in Wizarding history."

"I'm going to want to sit down, aren't I?" Kirk asked.

Harry nodded. As Kirk sat in his chair, Harry dug around in Nora's bag and pulled out a folding camping chair, which he snapped to full size.

"To borrow a phrase from Bones, that's got everything but the kitchen sink, doesn't it?" Kirk asked, eyes wide.

Harry laughed. "I'm almost afraid to find out." He got comfortable, then began talking. "In December of 1926, Tom Marvolo Riddle was born. By the 1970's, he had become one of the most powerful Dark wizards of our time, and was better known as Lord Voldemort. Between 1970 and 1981 was a period known as the First Wizarding Warand he was the cause of it. He was killing good witches and wizards in his quest for power, and people were getting too scared to even say his name," he began. "He had followers known as Death Eaters, people who wanted his power, agreed with his views of pureblood magic, or were forced into it. It got to the point you didn't know who to trust; it was that bad."

"How did the war end?" Kirk asked.

"Because of a prophecy that he didn't hear the whole of, Voldemort tried to kill me," Harry said bluntly. "I was just a baby at the time, and my mother died protecting me. Her sacrifice enacted some ancient magic that caused Voldemort's Killing Curse to rebound off of me and on to him. That's how I got this scar." He lifted his bangs, showing the lighting bolt scar on his forehead. "There was a problem though. Voldemort had succeeded in splitting his soul into six other containers, called Horcruxes. When the Killing Curse rebounded on him, because his soul wasn't all in one body, he survived, but only as a soul without a body, for a number of years, not realizing he had made me into a seventh Horcrux."

Kirk's eyes went wide. "That must've been fun."

"Oh yeah," Harry said sarcastically. "In 1995, through various foul means, Voldemort regained his body, and his followers, and the Second Wizarding War started. On Hallowe'en of 1997, Death Eaters murdered Nora's favourite uncle, Uncle Afis, when he took seven year-old Nora to the local playground. He died protecting her, but his family did, and still does, blame her for his death, because Nora wanted to go play. Because Uncle Afis indulged her, it was her fault he died."

"Bullshit," Kirk growled. "What about her parents?"

"They were also killed by Death Eaters. Uncle Afis was Nora's father's best bud in Hogwarts, the main Wizarding school in the United Kingdom, and had apparently promised he would look after Nora if anything happened to her parents. The problem was, Cissy, Afis's wife, hated Nora, because Nora was Shane's daughter. Apparently she had chased after Shane for years, but Shane ignored her, chose a local girl by the name of Darla."

"Scorned woman much?" Kirk asked.

"Much."

"And I'm thinking, and I'm not liking what I'm thinking. Aunt Cissy hated Nora for simply existing. Then Uncle Afis dies protecting Nora from Death Eaters. Probably feels, no doubt wishes, Nora had died instead or alongside," Kirk said. "And proceeds to make her life a living hell from then on. She mentioned a cousin, Donovan? Sounds like he joined in on the fun."

"Got it in one," Harry said. "By the time Nora entered Hogwarts, she was hurting emotionally and mentally. Being the kind of school that Hogwarts is (you spend your entire school year living at the school), the professors did what they could for her, and by the time she finished her seventh year, she was in the top ten. Not bad for someone who was constantly told she would never amount to anything."

"Wow," Kirk said. "Where did she go from there?"

"From what I understand, she spent the next two years traveling, before Donovan forced her to come home. She then spent the next two years slaving at the family store, until she was accepted into the Auror training program. She managed to piss off two of her trainers before they dumped her on me," Harry said.

"Ouch," Kirk said.

Harry chuckled. "She's got a mouth on her, I won't deny that, but she cares. She just doesn't like to show it in case someone tries to hurt her or take advantage of her."

"Can't say I blame her. What about Easzim? She seems to really care about him."

Harry laughed. "I gave her a room in my house, in the attic, in an attempt to get her away from her poisonous family. She didn't know my policy on pets, and was afraid I'd say No, so she tried to smuggle him into the attic under her robe. That was fine, until Easzim got hungry, and went after Ginny's tuna casserole. Nora didn't know about one of my best friends having a similar pet, and that I'm genuinely very fond of Kneazles. I let Nora keep Easzim, and they've been together ever since. The only major problem I'm having is with Nora's family. They are firmly convinced that Nora is a murderer and can't be trusted to be on her own."

"Angry, resentful, and I'm betting Donovan is a regular class act?" Kirk asked.

"Oh yeah. Ginny and I have some serious concerns that he may try and force himself on Nora, because she isn't his cousin by blood, and since everyone in his family hates her, no one would believe her if he did hurt her."

"Bastard," Kirk muttered. "Okay, since you're her boss, what do you recommend I do with her?"

"Send Doctor McCoy to talk to her. He seems to be interested in her in a positive way, and she could use a friend," Harry said. "Then go from there. If she apologizes, will you let her out?"

"I'll consider it, but it depends on what McCoy tells me," Kirk said. "By the way; flobberworm?"

Harry reached into the bag and pulled out a book called _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , by Newt Scamander. Opening it, he flipped it open to _Flobberworms_ , and showed it to Kirk.

"A worm that can grow up to ten inches, can't tell the front from the back, secretes mucus that's used in potions and can die if fed too much lettuce?" Kirk said, reading the description. "How nice."

"And that's a real nice shiner you've got there," McCoy said, joining them, a Medikit in one hand. "Nora really did that to you?"

"She did," Kirk said, sitting still as McCoy checked him over. "You got anything?"

"Lucky for you, yes," McCoy said, bringing out a medical device and waving it over the bruised skin. "What about Nora?"

"She's in the brig," Kirk said. "Spock brought her down with a Vulcan nerve pinch."

"I'll go check on her," McCoy said. "Make sure she didn't break her fist on your thick skull."

"Would you mind talking to her? As a friend?" Kirk asked, after glaring at his friend. "I think, based on what Harry's told me, that's what she needs, more than anything."

"That bad, huh?"

Kirk gave him the condensed version of what Harry had told him and McCoy whistled. "That would do it. All right; I'll see what I can do. If you find yourself getting a headache..."

"Yeah?"

"Go see a nurse."

Kirk grinned. "Always."

McCoy glanced at Harry. "By the way, would Easzim attack someone if he thought that person posed a threat to Nora?"

"Without a second's hesitation," Harry said. "Why?"

"An Ensign Barnes came into Sickbay last night with what looked like scratches and bite marks on his legs," McCoy said. "The on-duty doctor noticed his pant legs were also shredded and spotted what looked like brownish fur on the pants. Barnes tried to claim he'd gotten too close to the rose bushes we have in the ship garden, but the on-duty doctor, Harvey, made a note in the file that basically said ' _bullshit_ '."

"And you're thinking Easzim," Harry said. McCoy nodded. "Being part Kneazle, he can detect untrustworthy people, and maybe Barnes set him off, made Nora uncomfortable or something. I once saw him try and attack Donovan when the prat made a comment towards Nora that had Ginny nailing him with a Stinging Hex that had his face swelling up like you wouldn't believe."

"Sounds painful," Kirk said.

"Trust me, it is. Depending on where you get hit, you get a nasty welt and your skin swells up like you've had a bad allergic reaction to something," Harry said. "Hermione once had to use it on me, on my face, to try and disguise me (very long story) and my entire face was swollen and on fire. Not fun." He sighed heavily. "If Easzim attacked Ensign Barnes, then something must've happened to set him off. Ensign Barnes is lucky Nora didn't use her favorite hex on him."

"I'm afraid to ask," Kirk muttered.

"You know what a pumpkin is, right?" Harry asked. When both men nodded, Harry continued. "There's a jinx, called the Melofors Jinx, that encases the victim's head in a large pumpkin. The pumpkin either falls off in pieces in a few hours, or the pumpkin can be basically cut off the person's head. It's pretty harmless ("Is that what he calls it?" McCoy muttered to Kirk), aside from having your head encased in a pumpkin, but Nora has this particular skill in that her pumpkins are extremely large. We're talking between twenty to twenty-five pounds of pumpkin encasing your head."

"Something like that on your head and you're going nowhere but down," Kirk quipped, grinning.

"I'm guessing this particular jinx is one of Nora's favorites?" McCoy asked.

"Exactly. And since Ensign Barnes didn't show up in Sickbay with a pumpkin on his head, either Easzim got there first and defended Nora, or those two crossed paths somewhere else, but since Easzim tends not to go too far from Nora, I think it's the first one," Harry said.

"Bones, have a chat with the fellow again please?" Kirk asked.

"Will do," McCoy said. "I'll also have a chat with Nora about that." He glanced at Harry. "She's hurting real bad, isn't she?"

Harry nodded. "I think so." After McCoy left, he reached into Nora's bag and, after digging around for a second, pulled out a small, flat container, which he opened and handed to Kirk. "Dab some of this on your bruise. It'll go away within the hour."

"Are you sure about this?" Kirk asked, studying the stuff suspiciously.

"It works. It was invented by some friends of mine who had a habit of testing their joke inventions on themselves, and they needed a good bruise remover," Harry said. "Hermione had to use it on herself when she got punched in the eye by a Boxing telescope."

"Ouch," Kirk said, laughing. He carefully dabbed some of the yellow paste around his eye and gave the tin back to Harry.

"So, where is the _Enterprise_ headed today?" Harry asked, putting the tin away.

"Berengaria VII. There's a starbase there, a good one, and then we're heading to a sector of space that has a class M planet that has a lot of potential," Kirk said. "It's part of our five-year mission to explore."

"Sounds like fun to me," Harry said.

In the brig, Nora woke up, her neck hurting. _What the hell?_ She looked around without lifting her head, and realized she was in a very plain, sterile room of some kind, with bright white walls and what looked like plexiglass along one side. Nora had a sneaking suspicion that plexiglass wasn't plexiglass, not if the _Enterprise_ 's technology was anything to go by.

The last thing she remembered was telling Kirk if she was spoiled brat enough for him. Then there had been a sharp pain in her neck, and that was it.

She patted her sleeves and pocket. _Son of a bitch._ She got up carefully, rubbing her shoulder, and glared at the man in the red shirt sitting at a nearby console. Focusing, she spun on the spot, only to sit down very hard on the deck.

"You miserable sonovabitch!" she snarled. Harry had put an Anti-Disapparition Jinx on her, preventing her from Apparating out of the, whatever it was she was in. "Where the hell am I now?" she demanded to the officer, who was watching her closely.

"You're in the brig," he said calmly.

"I'm in jail, basically," Nora said.

"That's one way of putting it," McCoy said, joining them. "It's kind of what you get for punching out the captain. How's the neck?"

"Sore. What happened?" Nora asked.

"You were on the wrong end of something called the Vulcan nerve pinch," McCoy said, watching as the officer dropped the forcefield long enough for him to enter the brig. "Sit down and let me have a look." Nora reluctantly sat down and let McCoy take out a scanner from his kit and start scanning her. "An Ensign Barnes showed up in Sickbay last night. Looked liked he'd been clawed and bitten real good, even though he tried to claim he'd gotten too close to a rose bush. I'm betting a glass of whiskey says otherwise." He looked at Nora gently. "What happened?"

Nora looked at him for a long moment. "If I tell you, will you believe me?"

"I'm willing to give you a chance, yes," he said.

"Barnes was lucky my wand was in the bedroom at the time," Nora muttered. She began talking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Before we go any further, would you mind if I recorded this?" McCoy asked.

"Sure," Nora said, shrugging. "Saves me from having to repeat it twice."

McCoy got out his P.A.D.D. and toggled the Record tab.

"I keep the equivalent of an overnight bag in my big bag," Nora began. "Pyjamas, toothbrush, the works. I was in my pyjamas when the door bell rang. I answered, and it was Ensign Barnes. I remembered seeing him in Sickbay earlier, but didn't pay him much attention. Well, apparently he was paying attention to me, and overheard what Harry said about me having some harmless fun. He seemed to think that meant anyone. I told him otherwise, and suggested he leave."

"Was Easzim with you?" McCoy asked.

"Yeah, and he started growling," Nora said. "Tail bushed up, back arched, the works. When he growls, you know he's growling. Barnes just ignored him. Stupid idiot. He had a bottle with him, and tried to coax me into getting to know him over drinks. I said no thanks, I'm not interested, there's the door, have a nice night. He made a move towards me, and Easzim went for him. While that was happening, I grabbed my wand from the bedroom. I come back out, Barnes is screaming because Easzim is wrapped around his legs, clawing and biting. I used a spell to get him off of Barnes, who promptly called Easzim a crazy son of a bitch, which set Easzim off again, but because of the Floating spell, Easzim couldn't get near him. I told Barnes he had two choices; he could leave, now, and I would continue to hold on to my cat, or stay, continue being an asshole, and not only would I let Easzim go, but I would also turn his head into a giant pumpkin. He called me an ice queen bitch, and left."

"Okay. What about the bottle he had with him? Did he take that with him?"

"No. He had dropped it, and it rolled under the desk. I think it's still there. It's a dark coloured bottle with a high neck."

"Okay. Would you mind if we looked for it?"

"I don't care. I think you'll also find black fabric around the sitting room and bedroom door."

"Good to know. How do you feel now?" Nora looked down, avoiding McCoy's eyes. "Nora?" he asked gently.

"Dirty," she admitted quietly. "I didn't think I'd done anything to attract his attention, and he seemed to think otherwise. He overheard a personal conversation and twisted it. I spent the whole night wondering what I'd done to warrant such behaviour, and desperately wishing the shower used actual water so I could scrub myself clean." A tear slid down her face. She looked up slightly when McCoy cupped her face.

"Hey. Look at me," he coaxed. When she finally did, she only saw sympathy on his face. "You did nothing wrong. Barnes should have left when you asked him to, he had no business eavesdropping, and he will be investigated. Kirk is good for that. He's also pretty forgiving."

"You're talking about the fact that I belted him, right?" Nora guessed.

McCoy grinned. "That was a beautiful shiner. What brought that on?"

"He called me a spoiled brat, which is what my Aunt Cissy, her second husband, Charles, and Donovan call me a lot," Nora admitted.

"And you're how old?"

"Twenty-five."

"I got the impression your family hates you because of what happened with Uncle Afis."

"You know about that?"

"I got the condensed version. Uncle Afis died protecting you from Death Eaters when you were about seven. It was during the Second Wizarding War, Hallowe'en, and you wanted to play at the local playground."

Nora nodded, memories surging through her. "I didn't understand what was going on. The First Wizarding War had ended years before I was born, and I knew my parents were gone, but I didn't understand they weren't coming back. I just thought they were on a secret mission and would come back when the monsters were gone away." She smiled. "Uncle Afis was always good to me. He and Granny Sheril would always sneak me treats and stuff, things that made Aunt Cissy mad. I knew she didn't like me; I just didn't know why." She sighed heavily. "It was Hallowe'en, and the leaves were falling. I begged Uncle Afis to take me to the local playground; even cleaned up my room just perfect, to prove I was being a good girl. It had felt like forever since I was outside. Uncle Afis agreed, over Aunt Cissy's loud objections, but told me if he told me to run, then I would run back home without question, and without stopping."

"That's reasonable," McCoy said.

"We got to the playground, and the leaves were everywhere. I remember laughing and playing in the leaves with Uncle Afis," she continued, smiling, before the smile faded. "The next thing I know, Uncle Afis spotted a group headed towards us, people in long black robes and silver masks. I later found out they were called Death Eaters. Uncle Afis yelled at me to run, and I ran." Tears began sliding down her face. "I remember hearing yelling and seeing flashes of red and green light, and something shot past my head that made a nearby tree explode. I ran, got to the house, and screamed that Uncle Afis was in trouble at the park. I was so scared," she sobbed. "Aunt Cissy's brother, Uncle Argus, and Grandfather Zachary, they ran out, and Granny Sheril had their house elf, Wonka, hide me in the cellar with firm instructions not to come out unless she said so, no matter what. Wonka and me, we huddled together for heaven knows how long, until Granny Sheril called us out. When I came out, Aunt Cissy hit me."

"Oh my god," McCoy said, wrapping his arms around her.

Nora continued. "I don't remember much after that, but I think Wonka blasted Aunt Cissy across the room over that, and Granny Sheril yelled at her. I later found out the men had brought Uncle Afis's body back, that Aunt Cissy had screamed that it was my fault her husband was dead, and I should have died instead. To this day, she still blames me." She let McCoy rock her, liking how it felt. "Granny Sheril never blamed me, but Aunt Cissy started calling me the Wizard Killer. Harry was The Boy Who Lived. I was The Girl Who Murdered Her Uncle." She found herself wrapping her arms around him, liking how he felt. "I remember looking back and seeing Uncle Afis duelling with two other Death Eaters. I saw him look back at me, and I heard him yelling at me to run. Run, he yelled. _Run._ There was a flash of green, and I ran. And I think I've been running ever since. I've had nightmares for years about Uncle Afis rising from the dead and chasing me, screaming how it was my fault he was dead."

"It wasn't your fault. You were not responsible for what happened. You were caught in the middle of something you didn't understand, and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," McCoy said. "You were just a child, and you wanted to play, just like any child does. You didn't deserve what happened to you. _It wasn't your fault_."

That did it. That little bit of kindness was all Nora needed. The tears came and she found herself curling against McCoy, sobbing. He held her, rocked her like a child, and she grieved the way she hadn't been able to for years.

When the tears finally let off, McCoy showed her how to operate the sink, and splash some water on her face.

"Why don't you cut that off if it irritates you so much?" he asked, watching as she flipped her braid over her shoulder again, scowling at her reflection.

"Because Aunt Cissy said short hair is unbecoming of a woman?" Nora asked.

McCoy went over to the forcefield and called to the male Caitian guard. "Do me a favour; bring up Dr. Carol Marcus' file photo please." The guard did so, and brought it over on a P.A.D.D. "You going to tell me that isn't unbecoming of a woman?" McCoy asked Nora, who studied the photo. "If your hair bothers you, cut it. It's just hair. It'll grow back."

Nora bit her lip. Then, before she could change her mind, she asked, "Do you have anything in your kit that will cut hair?"

"Laser scalpel," he said. He glanced at the guard and muttered, "I'm trusting you on this." The guard nodded in understanding. Then McCoy went to his kit and took out a device. He fiddled with it for a moment, then said, "Okay, turn around. I'm going to cut it right at the base of your neck. After that, I'll introduce you to the ship's barber."

Nora nodded, turned around, and closed her eyes. "Do it before I suss out," she begged. She felt him lift her braid, there was a humming noise, a tug, and then her hair swung free around her face. She opened her eyes to see McCoy holding up a blonde rope of her hair.

"Easiest operation I ever did," he quipped. "Take a look."

She looked at herself in the mirror and her eyes went wide. "Wow." She ran her hands through her hair. "Feels weird."

McCoy smiled. "I'm going to dispose of this and then go talk to Kirk. I don't know how long you'll be here, but I would suggest that you relax and take it easy. You're safe here. This big guy, he won't hurt you as long as you don't give him trouble."

"Could you tell Kirk I'm sorry for lashing out at him, both verbally and physically?" Nora asked.

Again McCoy smiled. "I will. In all fairness, his mouth has gotten him into trouble more times than I care to count. First time I saw him, his nose was still swollen from the bar fight he'd gotten himself into less than twelve hours before."

Nora laughed. Then she sobered. "What about Barnes?" she asked. "He's not going to be too happy if he finds out he's being investigated."

"I won't let him come near you, ma'am," the guard rumbled, smiling gently at her, flashing his teeth. He reminded her of a giant lion standing on his hind legs, complete with mane and tail. "My people treat our females with great respect, more so than your family apparently does," he growled.

"Good to know," Nora said, watching as the guard went back to his station to let McCoy out. "By any chance, are you related to Kneazles?" she asked.

The guard looked up at her with a patient, resigned look. "My people may look like the Earth lion, but I assure you, we are not related, nor are we related to these Kneazles you speak of," he grumbled.

"Wait until you see her pet cat, Easzim," McCoy muttered in passing. He spotted something. "Never mind. You're about to. Be careful; he shredded Barnes' pant legs."

"Hmmm."

Back on the bridge, Kirk was reading through a book Harry had offered him. It seemed Nora's bag was a lot, as in _a lot_ bigger than it looked.

"A boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it, since facing more than one person at once would make it indecisive as to what form it must take, usually a mixed-up amalgam of the victims' fears. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into one's worst fears when one first see it," Kirk muttered as he read through _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection,_ which was required reading for Hogwarts students taking Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Likes confined spaces, but has been found in forests and shadowy places... A result of people's emotions... I can think of a few places like that on the _Enterprise,_ " he said. "How do you get rid of them?"

"We can't really get rid of them, so much as simply get them into an object, like a match box or something, and simply move them elsewhere," Harry explained. "There's a spell we use that forces the boggart to change into something not so scary, but it depends on the strength of the caster and how many people there are, because the more people there are, the more confused the boggart gets about what to change into. And the big thing? Laughter. That's what really screws those buggers up." He grinned as he remembered something. "During my third year at Hogwarts, we learned about boggarts. One of the students, a friend of mine, Neville, he was terrified of the Potions professor, Professor Snape, who could be a real jerk towards students he felt were, well, lacking. Neville's parents were also victims of Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War, so he was being raised by his grandmother, who liked to wear these big, funny hats and real frumpy clothes. Professor Lupin, who was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts that year, he advised Neville to picture Professor Snape wearing his grandmother's clothes."

Kirk grinned. "That would have been hilarious."

"It was. But that was how Neville learned to deal with the boggart; by making his greatest fear funny."

"Can Muggles see boggarts?" Spock asked. He had rejoined them after dealing with Nora, and had been listening with fascination to Harry.

"You can see them, but you don't see them very well, and they usually get dismissed as a figment of your imagination, because a lot of Muggles don't believe in magic or aren't willing to consider the possibility that such creatures actually exist," Harry admitted. "Magic can't be defined by logic. It just simply _is._ "

"If this keeps up, trust me, I'll be a believer," Kirk said. He thought for a moment. "Hey Chekov?" he asked the young Russian helmsman.

"Yes Keptian?" Chekov asked, turning to face him. He nodded at Harry, who nodded back.

"When you were in Engineering last time, didn't you mention there was a section that everyone seemed to avoid because they kept seeing things out of the corner of their eyes?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," Chekov admitted reluctantly. "It's very uncomfortable, but many of us, we cannot describe it exactly. It's simply... uncomfortable."

"That is not logical," Spock said.

"I know, sir, but many of us, even other Vulcans, there is something there," Chekov said.

"I've felt it too, sir," Sulu said over his shoulder. "Even Scotty doesn't like that area, and he's about as practical as they come. Feels like something's watching me the whole time, even though I know no one's there."

"Do you see shadows or something like that out of the corner of your eye?" Harry asked. Chekov and Sulu nodded. "What about your fears? Do they start coming to mind, and you feel like you really, really want to get out of that area as fast as possible, even though there's no rational explanation for feeling like that? Like something's going to jump out at you from the shadows at any second?" Chekov nodded vigorously, eyes wide. Sulu held up his hand in agreement. Harry glanced at Kirk. "Sounds to me like you definitely have a boggart there, and I can contain it, but I will need Nora's help."

"And I have no doubt she'll be willing to help," McCoy said, joining them. "Nora asked me to convey her apologies to you," he said to Kirk. "She had a very rough night. Apparently Barnes came on to her pretty heavily, even after being told she wasn't interested, and Easzim went for him. Combine that with a cousin who's face I'd like to rearrange without anesthetic, and an aunt I'd like to kick out the nearest airlock, she hasn't had an easy time of it. I'll give you the full report in a bit."

"Could I get a copy of it?" Harry asked.

"You got it," McCoy said. "Now, what's this about a boggart?"

"A shape-shifting creature that turns into your greatest fear, and likes to hide in small, dark spaces," Spock said. "Harry claims to be able to contain it, but needs Nora's help because the more people there are, the less chance the boggart knows what to turn into. Apparently laughter helps contain it."

"Both Chekov and Sulu report that a section of Engineering is making a lot of people nervous, seeing things out of the corner of their eyes, fears coming to mind, stuff like that," Kirk said.

"Sounds like the time I visited Independence State Hospital, in Iowa, when I was a teenager," McCoy admitted. "Place creeped me out, and it has a serious reputation for being haunted."

"Ghosts do not exist, Doctor," Spock said. "They are merely a figment of an over-active imagination."

Harry propped his elbow on his knee, and his chin in his hand, grinning at the Vulcan. "Then you would _love_ Hogwarts," he said. "The school has four houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Just like they had Heads of the Houses, they also had Ghosts of the Houses. Nearly Headless Nick was the ghost for Gryffindor. Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the original Hogwarts founders, was the ghost for Ravenclaw. Then there's the Fat Friar for Hufflepuff, and the Bloody Baron for Slytherin. They're real, they're there, and they're part of Hogwarts just as much as Peeves the Poltergeist, and the house elves, and the Thestrals are."

"Thestrals?" Chekov asked.

"Winged horses that you can only see if you've seen death," Harry said. "First time I saw them, I had just seen a friend die at Voldemort's hand. I was fourteen, and shortly afterwards, Voldemort rose to power."

"What are these houses that you mentioned?" Kirk asked, wisely changing the subject, seeing the sadness in the other man's eyes.

Harry reached into the bag again, and pulled out a book. Flipping it open, he began to read.

" _You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._"

"Well, how do you know which one you belong to?" Chekov asked.

"The Sorting Hat," Harry explained. "When the school was first founded, the founders, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, they would each take students who had the traits that they thought were the most important. But they also realized they wouldn't be around forever. So they created the Sorting Hat to help with that. Every First Year student, during the Beginning of the Year Feast, the Hat gets put on their head, checks them out, and then, depending on what it finds, determines what house the student gets put in. Of course, students usually do have a choice. The Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin but I said no. I had just made an enemy on the Hogwarts Train, and his name was Draco Malfoy, and he went straight to Slytherin. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him."

"What was Nora?" McCoy asked, curious.

"Hufflepuff," Harry said. "Hard-working, loyal, tend to excel in Herbology and Potions. Nora's pretty good at that. I always thought she'd make a better Healer than an Auror, but I can see her reasoning." He smiled. "Anyway, boggart? Nora?"

"Bones?" Kirk asked.

"Let her out. I don't think she's going to be any more of a problem," McCoy said. "We talked, and I think she finally had a chance to grieve for her uncle."

Harry nodded. "Good."

Kirk nodded as well. "All right. Spock?"

"I would advise against it, given the nature of her temper," Spock said.

"Are you concerned she might try and kill me?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," Spock said.

"Spock, I understand your concerns, but no matter how mad Nora gets, she would never use the Killing Curse on Captain Kirk, or anyone else for that matter," Harry said. "In order for her to be willing to do that, she has to be willing, one hundred percent, without a doubt, willing to kill, and that's just not Nora. It's the same with the other two Unforgivable Curses. Last time I tried to use one of them, it was more tickle than pain. I was angry, but I was more hurt than angry." He shook his head. "No, no matter how mad Nora gets, she won't kill."

"Circumstances can change," Spock cautioned.

Harry sighed heavily. "Yes, they can. I've killed. I was seventeen when I took the life of Lord Voldemort and ended the Second Wizarding War. I had to. It was either him or me, and in the end, I was the one standing. But Nora? Unless there's no other choice, she would rather pull your underwear over your head and have you dangling upside down by your ankle, than kill you."

"Has she ever done that?" Kirk asked.

Harry grinned. "Forty-eight year old wizard dealing in illegal potions,she had him dangling upside down in the middle of the town square. Because he wasn't wearing pants under his robes, the whole town saw his bright pink thong underwear and hairy buttocks." Kirk started laughing, along with Chekov and Sulu, while Spock raised an eyebrow and McCoy groaned, chin in hand. "I've seen a lot of things I wish I could forget about. That was one of them! If I could have scrubbed my eyes and my brain with bleach, I would have!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Glancing at Spock and McCoy, he made his decision. "Let her out," Kirk said. He glanced at Harry. "But I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

"There's a Caitian doing guard duty at the brig. Might I suggest he becomes Nora's escort?" McCoy said. "They were getting along reasonably well when I left, and Easzim didn't try and attack him."

"Do it," Kirk said, nodding at Spock. "Then have them taken to Engineering and show them this creepy spot." Then something occurred to him. "Wait a minute; Easzim found Nora again?"

"Yup. Wandered in pretty as you please," McCoy said. "Last time I saw him, he and the Caitian guard were checking each other out, but there wasn't any hissing or growling."

"My turn for the question," Harry said. "What does a Caitian look like?"

"The males look like upright lions, tails, manes, and fur included, and the females have a lot less fur but still retain the ears and tails," Kirk said. "Not to mention the yellow eyes. They're members of the Federation and have a well-earned reputation for being ferocious fighters in hand-to-hand combat." He didn't think it was a good time to mention the twin females he'd spent a very enjoyable night with, just before Khan had struck and he'd nearly lost everything because of his arrogance. "They also have a reputation for being protective and honourable."

"That's probably why Easzim hasn't gone after him yet, then," Harry said. "Similar personalities."

At the brig, Nora was laughing at the Caitian, who had Easzim chasing his lion-like tail. There was a smile on the Caitian's face, suggesting he was enjoying the game. Once the situation was explained, the Caitian, who gave his name as Hraal, disengaged the forcefield and let Nora out.

"Boggarts, huh?" Nora asked, accepting her wand and bag back from Harry, who had explained the situation. "Sounds like fun." They followed Harry, McCoy, and Spock through the ship to Engineering, where Scotty would be joining them. Easzim kept up with them, his floofy tail bouncing with his movements.

"What are these boggarts?" Hraal asked, rolling his R's.

"Amoral creatures that take the form of whatever scares the hell out of you," Nora explained. "Non-magical people, or Muggles, don't really see them because a lot of non-magical people don't believe in magic. Figments of the imagination and all that."

"But you can," Hraal said.

"Can, have, stuck 'em in a snuff box," Harry said. "There's a spell we use, and when we tangle with the buggers, it's better to have more than one person, because then the boggart doesn't know what to turn into."

"Right. Everyone has different fears," Hraal said.

"And the big thing is laughter," Nora said. "The boggart feeds on fear. Laughter is the exact opposite of fear, so what we do is take what we're afraid of and make it funny."

"This should be interesting," Hraal said.

Ten minutes later, Nora and Harry were cautiously exploring a section of Engineering that it seemed everyone hated. Even Spock admitted to experiencing discomfort in the area, which had remarkably low light, given the well-lit areas of the rest of the ship.

Something growled. Easzim hissed and Hraal growled low, his ears twitching.

Harry held up his wand and said, " _Lumos._ " The tip of his wand glowed, lighting up the area.

There was a large crevice, caused by various large pipes, and a shadow moved, darting away from the light.

Then, with a roar, a terrifiying creature in dark, flowing robes, suddenly lunged out, clawed hands ready to strike. Where its mouth was, there was only a gaping hole. There was no eyes, ears, or even a nose.

" _Riddikulus!_ " Harry and Nora yelled, waving their wands sharply. There was a _BANG_ and the creature suddenly halted, then tripped over its own robes as they became tangled around its feet. It hit the deck with a painful thud, causing the assembled group to laugh, then suddenly transformed into a giant snake with an equally huge hood.

Several people yelled as the snake hissed at them.

" _Riddikulus_!" Nora yelled, waving her wand again. _BANG!_ The snake's hood disappeared, replaced with daisy petals. The laughter got louder.

Then it became an evil clown, complete with bloody dagger. Again Harry and Nora yelled the spell, again there was a bang, and the evil clown suddenly had flowers that spat water at its face. Even Hraal roared with laughter at that one.

"Got the snuff box?" Harry asked Nora. She pulled out a small, silver box from her bag and opened it. Sliding it across the floor to where the boggart was, they watched as the boggart turned into a banshee, who lost her voice when the spell was yelled again. Then, clearly confused with the laughter and large group of people, the boggart saw the box and dove into it.

" _Colloportus!_ " Nora said, causing the lid of the box to snap shut. "And that, my fine friends, is that."

"Facinating," Spock said. "I did not recognize the first creature."

Harry glanced at Nora, who was putting the snuff box in her bag. "The Dementor. Yours or mine?"

"Both, I guess. I'm terrified of the damn things," Nora said.

"And the snake?" Harry asked.

"So I don't like snakes, especially ones that have fangs the size of bloody big daggers," Nora shot back, poking through her bag. "Starting to think I need to go through this thing. I'm seeing things I've forgotten I have in here."

"Like?" McCoy asked. His eyes went wide as Nora pulled out a strand of thick silver rope. And pulled. And pulled. By the time she finally reached the bottom, she had about thirty feet of rope piled around her feet.

"Oops. Forgot I had this stuff," Nora said, looking a bit sheepish.

As she began to wind the rope up, Harry said, "Better hold on to it; might come in handy. That was from Miggie's Magic Supply Store, wasn't it?"

"Yup. It was his way of saying 'thanks' after getting rid of a bad batch of Doxys for him," Nora said, putting the rope away.

"What's so special about it?" Scotty asked, having been introduced to the pair.

"It can be cut, but unlike regular rope, the strands can't be separated by rubbing or pulling," Harry said. "And the knots hold. It's known as quick-silver rope and it ain't cheap."

As they walked away, Scotty muttered to himself, looking around, "Suddenly this place don't look so dark. Huh."

"So, what's a starbase like, Commander?" Harry asked Spock.

"If you are referring to Berengaria VII, it is a planet-based starbase that is populated by a protected herbivore dragon-like species known as _Draco Berengarius_ ," Spock explained.

"Are they big?" Nora asked.

"They can reach up to approximately fifteen meters in length, but there have been some reports of then being at least two hundred meters," Spock said. "They are generally fairly docile, however there have been recorded incidences where they have attacked people when they've gotten too close to their caves and young."

"Wow," Harry said. "Sounds like the dragons we know."

"Berengaria VII is a pretty interesting place," McCoy said. "We'll be stopping over for a few hours then heading out towards another planet. You're welcome to look around."

"As long as you keep me company, we're good," Nora said, smiling at him.

"And on that note, didn't I promise you I would introduce you to our ship's barber?" McCoy asked.

"Yes, you did. You also promised me you would show me the gardens," Nora said brightly.

"I did?" McCoy asked, confused. He saw the grin on Harry's face and the twitch of Hraal's lips. Spock, of course, displayed no outwardly visible emotion. He shrugged. "Guess I did."

 _Much later:_

The gardens were pretty, Berengarius VII was interesting, and they had a problem. A child, an Andorian according to Hraal, had fallen down a steep cliff after climbing over the protective railing, and was now trapped on a ledge several meters down, well out of reach of anyone. The child's mother had come running up to their group, screaming frantically, and they had gone running.

Nora stared apprehensively at the circling Draco Berengarius. It wouldn't eat the frightened blue-skinned child, but it could spit flames, and this particular fellow was big.

"Please tell me you guys have some way of reaching the kid," McCoy said.

"There's _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," Harry said, "but she's pretty far away. There's also _Accio_ , but that doesn't work too well on people."

"What about the silver rope?" Hraal asked.

Nora yanked her bag open and dug through it, searching frantically. "Ah-ha!" she yelled triumphantly, pulling it out. "But is it going to be long enough?"

"If it isn't, we can make it longer," Harry promised. " _Longos_ , remember?"

"Let's just hope it works," Nora grumbled, taking off her robe, revealing scruffy jeans and a black long-sleeve mockneck shirt.

McCoy quickly did a loop knot at the end of the rope for Nora's foot, then had her stick her foot in the loop, and made another loop at about her shoulder so she had something to hold on to.

"Tell the mother to tell the kid to hold on; we're coming," Harry said. Spock nodded and quickly spoke to the sobbing Andorian mother, who nodded.

Working together, Harry, McCoy, Spock, Hraal, and Kirk carefully lowered Nora over the edge. When she was almost there, Harry had to use the Lengthening spell to make the rope an extra two metres longer.

"Hi," Nora said to the frightened child, who had blood trickling down one side of her head from a nasty cut. She held out her hand, smiling reassuringly, just in time to see the Draco Berengarius suddenly make a dive at them. Nora grabbed the child and shielded her with her body, while yanking out her wand and yelling, " _Protego Maxima!_ "

There was a thudding noise as the creature suddenly slammed face-first into a large, invisible forcefield. It screamed angrily and backed away, suddenly unsure of the situation.

"Harry!" Nora yelled, keeping the crying child close and her wand pointed at the dragon.

" _Aqua Eructo!_ " Harry yelled, sending a blast of icy water at the dragon. The water slammed into the dragon, driving it away from Nora and the child. The dragon shrieked in anger.

"Don't know how long that'll work! Get a move on!" Harry yelled Nora.

"C'mon, sweetie, let's get you out of here," Nora said, wrapping the child's arms and legs around her chest and waist. "Tell her to hold on tight!" Spock relayed the message to the mother, who yelled down to the child, who tightened her grip on Nora, and buried her head against Nora's neck, whimpering. "Get us out of here!" she shouted, watching as the dragon hit the invisible shield again, screeching angrily.

The men pulled as hard and as fast as they could, with even the mother pulling. When the dragon decided to try again, Harry yelled " _Stupefy!_ " A reddish-blue light shot from his wand and slapped the dragon back. Again Harry yelled " _Stupefy!"_ and again the dragon was slapped back. When it tried to spit fire at them, Harry blasted it with the _Aqua Eructo_ spell, catching it right in the mouth. The dragon finally gave up and decided it'd had enough, flying away and screeching angrily.

"Move!" Harry yelled.

Both Nora and the child were over the railing within seconds. The child let go of Nora and flew into her mother's arms, crying with relief.

"Nice work, you two," Kirk said, breathing a bit hard. "But I thought the International Statue of Secrecy prevented you from doing magic in front of us Muggles."

"Technically we're not supposed to," Harry admitted, watching as McCoy checked the child over. "But technically we're not supposed to be here, either. And this was an emergency."

"Good point," Kirk admitted.

Nora had joined McCoy, and watched as the child shrank in fear from McCoy and his hands, gentle though they were. She smiled at the child, and took out her wand again. " _Gloria Lumos!_ " she said, waving her wand. And from the wand came pretty, dancing, glowing butterflies that caused both the child and the mother's faces to light up in wonder, allowing McCoy to check the child over.

"Technically Nora wasn't supposed to do that either, but for every rule, there's an exception, and I think this qualifies as an exception," Harry said, grinning.

"She has a strong heart," Hraal said.

"Advise her to take her child to the medical centre," McCoy told Spock. "She's got some scratches and bruises, and a bit of a lump on her head, but I think she'll be okay."

And from the shadows of a nearby building, someone watched. Then he took out a mirror and tapped it. "It's me," he hissed. "It's them, just like the books said."

" _Are you sure?_ " someone in the mirror hissed.

"She just used the Glowing Butterfly spell in front of an Andorian child, after she and Harry beat the hell out of a Draco Berengarius, without killing it," the man said. "It's them."

" _Very well. You know what you have to do,_ " the other person said.

"I do," the man said, tucking the mirror away. "I just hope I do it right."


End file.
